Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 4A
November 4,2009
1 Reporter
Opinion
Declare among the nations,
and publish, and set up a standard;
publish, and conceal not;
Jeremiah 50:2
OUR VIEW
On the Porch
Three thumbs up
T his week’s Reporter reminds us to give props
to three different groups of Monroe County
folks for their contributions:
1. Veterans. The front page story about WW2 vet and
Air Force pilot George Waldrep of Forsyth reminds us
that Veterans Day is next Wednesday, Nov. 11. Let us
pause to thank the men and women who have fought
to keep us free. It’s been said, “People sleep peaceably
in their beds at night only because rough men stand
ready to do violence on their behalf.” True indeed.
2. Women in Business. Our big 20-page section pays
tribute to Monroe County area women who help our
businesses run smoothly. Without women in business
these days, there wouldn’t be much business. And
many of these women perform equally daunting
domestic duties when they leave the office. We honor
them for their contributions.
3. College in Forsyth. Monroe County school officials
have been working hard to bring area college classes to
local residents at the former Monroe Academy campus.
The sale closed last week and as we’ve said here, this
seems like a win-win for the community. Kudos to the
board of education.
AROUND MIDDLE GEORGIA
From the Jones County
News....
Judgment House
returns to Gray
A cast and crew of
almost 250 from Real
Life Church in Gray put
on Judgment House on
Halloween Week, a
walk-through drama
showing the last 59 min
utes of the lives of four
people heading in differ
ent directions.
Mayoral race
Lehman Wood and Gus
Wilson square off in a
race to become the new
mayor of Gray.
Greyhounds 5th
Jones County High's
softball team takes fifth
place in the state AAAA
tournament.
From the Monticello
News....
Jasper won’t
privatize EMS-yet
Jasper County com
missioner vote not to
privatize the county's
EMS service, as Mary
Patrick said she has
been threatened if she
did. But after meeting
behind closed doors for
an hour allegedly to dis
cuss "personnel" com
missioners do vote to
create a new EMS direc
tor.
Deer Festival
opens Saturday
Monticello's Deer
Festival is this
Saturday, Nov. 7 begin
ning with the Deer Dash
at 8 a.m. and later with
vendors on the square
and nightly entertain
ment.
From the Barnesville
Herald Gazette....
Drug-releated
deaths in Lamar
The bodies of four
Lamar Countians are
sent to the state crime
lab, and coroner Jim
Smith says three of the
deaths were related to
drug abuse possibly
with drugs from the
same dealer. Three
deaths were thought to
be related to mixing a
use of fentanyl patches,
a powerful opiate from a
local drug store, with
other drugs.
Investigators spotted a
bottle of clear liquid in
the home but when they
returned to the home it
was missing. The Lamar
County Sheriffs Office
has refused to release
mug shots or criminal
records of the victims.
Herald Gazette editor
Walter Geiger responds
to criticism that the
paper is disrespecting
the deceased by bringing
up their drug use by
noting that society has
lost its moral compass if
it can't note such
destructive behavior.
is published every week by
The Monroe County Reporter Inc.
Will Davis, president
Robert M. Williams Jr., vice president
Cheryl S. Williams, secretary-treasurer
OUR STAFF
Will Davis
Publisher/Editor
publisher@mymcr.net
Gina Herring
Reporter
news@mymcr.net
Adam Ham
Webmaster
webmaster@mymcr.net
Trellis Grant
Business Manager
business@mymcr.net
Carolyn Martel
Advertising
Manager
ads@mymcr.net
Laura Thackston
Editorial Assistant
for sy th@mymcr. net
Wendell Ram-
age
Contributing Writer
wendellram4@
bellsouth.net
50 N. Jackson St., Forsyth, GA 31029
Periodicals Postage Paid at
Forsyth, Ga 31029
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
THE MONROE COUNTY REPORTER
P.O.Box795, Forsyth,GA31029
Official Organ of Monroe County
and the City of Forsyth
Phone: 478-994-2358 • FAX 478-994-2359
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Deadlines are noon on Friday prior to issue.
The comments featured on the opinion pages
are the sole creations of the writers, they do
not necessarily reflect the opinions oi The Re
porter management.
Publication No. USPS 997-840)
Grateful to you, dear readers
I t happens almost
every week, and it
happened again this
morning.
This time it was Mrs.
Grace Hardage of
Forsyth. She had
brought by some
old photos for the
Monroe County his
tory book we’re pro
ducing. When I
popped my head
into the lobby, she
stopped, looked me
in the eye, and told
me how much she
and her husband
Alex enjoy their
Reporter every
Wednesday.
It makes this editor smile
when he hears that the
hard work of our staff is
appreciated.
“Pleasant words are a
honeycomb,” King Solomon
wrote, “sweet to the soul
and healing to the bones.”
You might be surprised to
know that while we have
complaints, we get a lot of
that encouragement as
well. In fact, in our Oct. 21
edition we published our
statement of ownership,
mandated annually by the
postal service. The form
requires our meticulous
business manager, Trellis
Grant, to crunch our circu
lation numbers from all 52
weeks during the year and
calculate the average.
Do you know what it
showed? It
showed that our
average weekly
circulation during
2008-09 was up
16 percent over
2007-08, to
almost 5,000.
Wow! While read
ership of daily
newspapers is
plummeting,
^ we’re growing
rapidly. It over
whelms me with
gratitude to think of the
support we have enjoyed
from you, Monroe County.
Why have we experienced
such growth?
I’d like to think people
can’t wait to spend 75 cents
to get the profound wisdom
I share with you On the
Porch each week. But I
know better (our website
counts which stories you’re
reading the most and On
the Porch doesn’t make the
Top 3.)
The truth is, a weekly
newspaper is kind of like a
good buffet. We aim to
serve up a little bit of
everything so all can find
something they like to, well,
digest. And we work late
Monday nights so that our
fare remains hot, or at least
warm, on the chafing dish.
We aim to serve up content
about our community that
you can’t get anywhere
else. Content is the key.
While we aim for and rel
ish happy readers, we are
not always successful. At
times some have accused
your meek and mild editor
of being too opinionated. To
which I respond, “I am not
opinionated! I resent your
accusation and if you have
a problem let’s settle it out
side.” Just kidding. Actually,
I confess they’re right.
I am biased toward
Monroe County, where I
plan to live out my years
and raise my children.
I am biased in favor of
local people, local govern
ment and local institutions,
which know better the
needs and wants of Monroe
Countians than bureau
crats in Washington or
Atlanta.
I am biased in favor of our
constitutional republic,
where Americans are free
to make their own decisions
about their lives, their
healthcare, their child’s
school - as opposed to
being dictated to by the
government.
I am biased in favor of
lower taxes and fewer regu
lations so that our local
economies can thrive again,
rather than having us grov
el for stray stimulus
morsels from the central
planners.
I am biased in favor of
human life, which is a gift
from God, and should be
protected.
I am biased toward bibli
cal values, which are reli
able and unchangable, as
opposed to the whims of
contemporary culture.
So there. I’ve said it. The
secret is out - I’m biased.
Now on the news pages,
you’ll get facts. Who, what,
when, where and why -
these aren’t subject to bias.
But here on this page?
Here, I’ll aim to persuade,
cajole and agitate for the
values I hold dear. Because
I’m biased. And so are you.
But you know what? You’re
welcome to this page as
much as I am. Just e-mail
your biased opinions to me
at pubhsher@mymcr.net.
We’re here for all of Monroe
County, even - nay, espe
cially - for those with
whom I disagree.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Edge: Thanks for sharing, Ronnie
To the editor:
I would like to take this
opportunity to say a
special thank you to
someone who always
has a giving heart. For
seven years without failure,
DANIEL Ronnie Daniel of Dairy
Queen has said “yes, come get
what you need” when asked
to donate to the Tennis
Tournament. The tournament
raises money for the
Transient Fund and provides
meal tickets, gas for a vehicle,
bus tickets and sometimes
shelter to those in need who
travel through this wonderful
county of ours. We are grate
ful that Ronnie is sharing his
blessings in our community!
Keith Edge
Forsyth
Monroe deputy goes beyond the call
To the editor:
am writing to share my grat
itude for Deputy Rhonda
Morgan, who works for the
Monroe County
Sheriffs Department.
The men and women who
serve our community per
form many acts of kindness
which go untold. I wanted to
share one of these acts with
you so that it might be
passed on to your readers.
I was driving northbound
on 1-75 Labor Day weekend
when suddenly I realized I
had a flattened tire. The traf
fic was especially bad and
my only option was to ease to
the left shoulder of the inter
state. I was stuck in a particularly
dangerous spot at the top of a hill,
adjacent to the fast lane. It was
definitely scary. I was a bit pan
icked about what to do, because
my husband was working that day
and my father was out of town on
a business trip. I consider myself
to be independent and strong, but
like most young women my age, I
have little experience changing
tires (and the little experience that
I do have does not involve
being on the side of the
interstate with cars and
big trucks zooming by).
My solution to my
predicament was to call a
wrecker and wait for help,
because it was far too
dangerous to do anything
else. My entire car shook
as cars and trucks flew by
and I began to get more
nervous by the minute. I
was calling 411 to get the
number of a wrecker
when the dreaded "Blue
Lights" approached me from
behind.
Those dreaded "Blue Lights"
couldn't have come at a better
time. Deputy Rhonda Morgan
came to my rescue that day. She
kindly offered me a ride to the
nearest service station because, as
she put it, "it's so dangerous out
here, and I wouldn't want my child
stranded on the side of 75." When I
told Ms. Morgan I was from
Forsyth, she graciously drove me
home so I didn't have to wait in a
dangerous place for a wrecker to
tow my car back home. I wrote Ms.
Morgan a thank you note, but I
really want your readers to know
what a wonderful thing she did for
me. We are very lucky to have such
a caring woman serving our com
munity. She went above and
beyond her duties to help me and I
am very grateful to her.
By the way, I did change my own
tire later that day-from the safety
of my driveway, thanks to Ms.
Morgan.
Christy Plott Redd
Forsyth
Editor’s note: Rhonda Morgan
married last month and is now
Rhonda Seckinger.
Deputy
Rhonda Mor
gan, now
Rhonda
Seckinger.
What shelter? Advertise our dog pound
To the editor:
A s a resident of Monroe
County, I have become
amazed at the growing
amount of stray dogs
roaming around the
county. In my neighborhood there
are more dogs appearing. Around
town, I have seen a number of dogs
lying on the side of the road from
being hit by a vehicle or just roam
ing around looking for food. Most
look starved and maybe even dis
eased. It is sad to see these ani
mals run around looking for hope.
Some people living in Monroe
County have had problems with
these strays coming into their yard
and appearing aggressive. Most
are having to shoot these strays
whether they are aggressive or
not. It has become too much of a
risk not to follow the “shoot first,
ask questions later” method. The
point I am trying to make is that
these dogs deserve a chance and it
is almost impossible to chance not
shooting the dogs because of the
rapid growth of population and
aggression of these animals.
I believe there are methods to
solve this problem. Monroe County
has one animal shelter that I know
of that I had to research to find. If
people took the time and effort to
call these shelters and/or sur
rounding shelters to come and get
the strays they see, this situation
may be solved quicker. Mostly it is
a problem that could have been
easily prevented in the first place.
Advertising is also a very power
ful thing. If we would advertise the
only animal shelter we have and
the importance of these strays
being taken care of instead of
advertising how many gas stations
and fast food places there are, I
believe it could help push people to
do the right thing. Advertising can
be expensive. This could be solved
by having fundraisers and gaining
company sponsors. Every year
Forsyth has the Forsythia Festival,
the Pumpkin Festival, and the
Christmas parade along with other
events. There are always people at
these events by the hundreds that
could be asked for donations to
help out the cause. People that
visit these festivals will usually
spend a large amount of money on
food, games, and gifts. Also people
could send out business letters to
local companies to ask them for
donations to put toward the adver
tising or toward building a new
animal shelter.
So advertisement could really
help to make a difference. All that
is truly needed is the help and
kindness from the citizens of the
Monroe County area and we could
make a big difference.
Jennifer Wells
High Falls